- What happens to the soul at death?- Can people be saved after they die?- What will the judgment be like?- Are people in the afterlife concious and awake?- What will heaven and hell be like?- Will all or most be saved, or only a few?- Are there toll houses or some kind of purgation?- Will theosis go on forever, and what does that mean if so?

We can discuss all of them of course, but it'd help to tackle one or two ideas/questions at a time...

The Egyptians were also theistic and thought you could multiply length and width to get area. I'm not sure a belief being held by ancient people intrinsically invalidates it, especially a belief so broad as "There's some kind of afterlife."

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"Some have such command of their bowels, that they can break wind continuously at pleasure, so as to produce the effect of singing."- St. Augustine of Hippo

The Egyptians were also theistic and thought you could multiply length and width to get area. I'm not sure a belief being held by ancient people intrinsically invalidates it, especially a belief so broad as "There's some kind of afterlife."

The Egyptians were also theistic and thought you could multiply length and width to get area. I'm not sure a belief being held by ancient people intrinsically invalidates it, especially a belief so broad as "There's some kind of afterlife."

Does the Orthodox Church have an Afterlife?...

The Orthodox Church teaches that there is an afterlife, and Orthodox Christians will be there, if that's what you're asking about?

The Egyptians were also theistic and thought you could multiply length and width to get area. I'm not sure a belief being held by ancient people intrinsically invalidates it, especially a belief so broad as "There's some kind of afterlife."

Does the Orthodox Church have an Afterlife?...

The Orthodox Church teaches that there is an afterlife, and Orthodox Christians will be there, if that's what you're asking about?

-(I think the traditional understanding is that after a person dies they go to Heaven?)-

The Egyptians were also theistic and thought you could multiply length and width to get area. I'm not sure a belief being held by ancient people intrinsically invalidates it, especially a belief so broad as "There's some kind of afterlife."

True. Plus, they made cool writing with little pictures, like birds and twigs. How sad that we don't.

The Orthodox Church teaches that the soul separates from the body upon the passing from this life as it transitions from the "Church Militant" to the "Church Triumphant," and, receives a "Partial Judgement," experiencing a "foretaste" of the "Final Judgement" when all will be before the "Fearsome Judgement Seat of Christ." The "foretaste" refers to either a state of comfort or a state of torture--or unpleasantness. The Church does not know if the soul can be saved after the death of this life, acknowledging that there is no scriptural justification for such. However, the Church teaches that the soul senses a "temporary reprieve" from the prayers of those in the Church Militant. The church teaches that all the saints and those of the "Church Triumphant" join the "Church Militant" during celebration of the Divine Liturgy. There are icons of Christ as the celebrant of the Divine Liturgy surrounded by deceased hierarchs at the "holy, invisible and celestial altar." The church also teaches that the soul does not experience time. There will be a reuniting of the soul with the body--the resurrection of the body, during "the life of the ages to come." The body will appear as it best appeared on Earth, perhaps when the person was age 33.

These teachings are found in the writings of Church Fathers and are considered within the consensus of church teaching, but are by no means dogma.

I really did appreciate Basil's post as it was a concise answer to this subject, as I have looked into this subject according to the church as well, if we could keep such truths from being infected by westernization (like toll house myths), then it retains its beauty in simplicity and truth.Guard the doors let us be attentive.

By westernization I mean Orthodoxy's coming to the western hemisphere as per Archimandrite Lazar Puhalo's true warning in his book "The Soul, The Body, And Death" -excellent work-

« Last Edit: October 28, 2013, 04:08:38 PM by Robert scho »

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For a Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful; and a good defense before the dread judgement seat of Christ, let us ask of the Lord.And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.